Advice to residents in Reading to prevent letterbox burglaries - 02-07-2008

Around one in five burglaries in Reading involve taking property which can be reached via the letterbox.

These are opportunist burglaries which can be prevented by householders taking the appropriate measures.

Ch Insp Steve Thwaites, the Deputy Reading LPA Commander explained: "Burglars use the letterbox as an access point to steal house or car keys, contents of handbags or even open the front door from the inside by putting their hand or an implement through the letterbox. It is very easy for residents in Reading to prevent this happening".

His top tips for avoiding becoming a victim of this type of burglary are:

• DEADLOCK your front door at night and when you are out. If you can open it from the inside just by turning the handle, then so can a burglar from the outside via the letterbox.

• DON'T LEAVE KEYS IN SIGHT- within six feet of the front door these can potentially be reached. (Please do have the front door key readily available in case of emergency however.)

• KEEP VALUABLES OUT OF SIGHT and not visible by looking through the letterbox. Items such as handbags, purses, mobile phones, all keys (including car keys) should not be kept in a place where they can be seen - or reached using an implement - from the letterbox.

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